Bullz-Eye Blog » Doctor Whohttp://blog.bullz-eye.com
men's lifestyle blog, blog for guysTue, 31 Mar 2015 12:44:56 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.1.12013 Holiday Gift Guide: Televisionhttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2013/11/26/2013-holiday-gift-guide-television/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2013/11/26/2013-holiday-gift-guide-television/#commentsWed, 27 Nov 2013 02:26:03 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=32514Television fans must love the holidays, because it’s the one time of year when studios unleash a host of massive box sets collecting their favorite dramas and comedies. This year is no different, with several critically acclaimed shows getting the complete series treatment. But while we like to devour an entire TV show just as quickly as the next person, sometimes a little self-discipline is required, which is why we’ve also included some less time-consuming (and more affordable) suggestions as well.

Click on the image next to each item to purchase it online, and for more gift ideas, check out the other categories in our Holiday Gift Guide.

Breaking Bad: The Complete Series

Is there anything more to be said about the late, great “Breaking Bad” at this point, other than the fact that it was one of the greatest TV series of all time and that, although it went out in a blaze of glory, it’s left a vacuum that’ll be damned hard to fill? Nah, that about sums it up. But if you’re a fan and you’re continuing to mourn, then Sony has put together a set that’s so awesome that it’s almost too much to handle… but not quite. The 16-disc set includes all 62 episodes and more than 55 hours of special features, including an all-new documentary which chronicles the making of the final season, and, of course, all of the bonus material from the previous season sets remains intact too. The whole thing comes packaged in a barrel, as well a series about a meth manufacturer should, along with a Los Pollos Hermanos apron, a collectible booklet featuring a letter from Vince Gilligan and a commemorative Breaking Bad challenge coin. We don’t actually know what a challenge coin is, but we do know that it was designed and created by Gilligan himself, and dammit, that’s good enough for us.

Dexter: The Complete Series

Loosely based on Jeff Linsday’s popular series of crime novels, “Dexter” is probably the biggest hit in Showtime’s history, which only makes its steady decline over the years that much more maddening. Though the last four seasons were incredibly uneven compared to the show’s first four years, “Dexter” continued to be appointment television every week thanks to Michael C. Hall’s brilliant, Golden Globe-winning performance as the titular antihero. It also featured an excellent rotating cast of guest stars that included John Lithgow, Keith Carradine, Jimmy Smits, Julia Stiles and Jonny Lee Miller, and at times, some of the best writing on TV. It’s actually quite amazing that a show with a serial killer as its protagonist was able to last as long as it did, and though it faltered a bit in the end, there are plenty of diehard “Dexter” fans that would kill to own this complete series set. Designed to look like the character’s iconic blood slide box (with every Blu-ray case featuring a blood drop on the bottom), the 25-disc set – which features all eight seasons and a bonus disc filled with over five hours of never-before-seen extras – is definitely one of the cooler collector’s items on the market.

Weeds: The Complete Collection

HBO has long been considered the undisputed leader of premium cable, but without shows like “Weeds” and “Dexter,” Showtime never would have become the worthy competitor that it is today. Though Jenji Kohan’s dark comedy series suffered a drop in quality during its later seasons, it delivered more than its share of subversively funny moments (as well as those of the WTF variety) over the course of its eight-year run. Constantly reinventing itself after Season Three’s game-changing finale, “Weeds” may not have always succeeded in the risks that it took with the storytelling, but it’s one of the few shows with the kind of punk-rock attitude to even consider taking such risks. And throughout its numerous highs and lows, the core cast never faltered, especially star Mary-Louise Parker, who made “Weeds” must-see TV for her crazy/sexy performance alone. For those that haven’t yet seen the series, or just never got around to picking up each season individually, now is the perfect time with this complete series set, which comes packaged in a nifty, translucent green box and features new bonus material like a cast roundtable, interviews with fan-favorite recurring characters and more.

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Seasons 1-5

As part of Disney’s recent acquisition of Lucasfilm – headlined by the new trilogy of movies currently in production – the company is also launching a new animated series under their banner titled “Star Wars: Rebels,” which unfortunately spelled the end for “The Clone Wars.” Though it never really got the credit that it deserved while it was on the air, this series spanning the years between “Episode II” and “Episode III” is not only a great introduction to the “Star Wars” universe for youngsters, but quality supplemental viewing for adult fans as well. The art style is incredibly cool (cartoonish without going too far over the top), and the blend of new and familiar characters smartly expands the “Star Wars” canon without stepping on too many toes. While the fate of the show’s unfinished sixth season is still undecided, the first five seasons are now available to own in a collector’s edition Blu-ray set that includes all 108 episodes and a book filled with concept art from the series – the perfect gift for any “Star Wars” addict.

House of Cards: The Complete First Season

Based on the 1990 BBC miniseries of the same name, “House of Cards” is an enthralling and immensely addicting drama that boasts the kind of top-shelf quality we’ve come to expect from networks like HBO and AMC. In addition to being produced by David Fincher (who also directed the first two episodes), there’s not a single weak link in the cast. Kevin Spacey delivers his finest performance since “American Beauty” as the calculating politician, while Robin Wright is the perfect complement as his stone-cold marriage partner in crime. Corey Stoll also delivers some fine work as the congressman who gets ensnared in Underwood’s puppet strings. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the series is partly based on Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” and “Richard III,” because there are so many political power plays in each episode that it has the Bard’s fingerprints all over it.

Under the Dome

Curiously, the home video versions of CBS’s summer mega-hit are not labeled Season One, which gives potential buyers the impression that it’s a self-contained story. Yet anyone who tuned in this year (and judging by the ratings, that was quite a few of you) knows the first season of “Under the Dome” ended on a pretty massive cliffhanger, but not before delivering 13 hours maddeningly frustrating television about a small town trapped inside a mysterious invisible dome. Stephen King is no stranger to casting a spell on TV viewers, and with “Under the Dome” he appears to once again have a massive hit on his hands. The quality of this sociological experiment as a sci-fi series is up for debate, but America’s fascination with it isn’t. In many ways, “Under the Dome” is like a car wreck that you just have to keep looking at, if only to see who might stumble from the wreckage and be the last person standing.

Hannibal: Season One

When it was announced that NBC and Bryan Fuller were preparing a prequel TV series to the Hannibal Lecter saga, it was very easy to roll eyes and dismiss sight unseen. It had already been done once theatrically (2007’s all but forgotten “Hannibal Rising”), so why do it again? Because Fuller (“Pushing Daisies,” “Dead Like Me”) had a vision. Actually, he must have had dozens of them, because “Hannibal” feels like some sort of fevered nightmare come to life, and it was easily some of the most audacious TV of the year. Set in a pre-“Red Dragon” world, the series follows the blossoming friendship of troubled FBI special investigator Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) and his psychiatrist Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Mads Mikkelsen). Both actors deliver stunningly complex portrayals, and Mikkelsen is so darkly alluring that by the third episode you’ll be asking Anthony who? Be warned: just because “Hannibal” is on NBC doesn’t mean it’s tame. Indeed, it’s anything but, and the series offers up some of the goriest, most disturbing imagery shown on American network TV ever. You were warned. Season Two will air in 2014.

Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Third Season / Mad Men: Season Six

Just because a show is critically acclaimed doesn’t mean that it can’t have a duff season once in a while, but when it comes to HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” and AMC’s “Mad Men,” they’ve both got pretty good track records. As “Mad Men” begins to wind down toward its conclusion, the goings-on in the show move through the ‘60s at a relatively rapid clip, with social change being seen in the workplace even as Don Draper seems trapped forever as a guy who can’t be happy at home, no matter how hard he tries. The bonus material on the Season Six set includes an interactive gallery, a look into the drug culture of the ‘60s and the show’s production design. As for “Boardwalk Empire,” with all due respect to Michael Pitt, it seems far from coincidental that the demise of Jimmy Darmody proved to be a creative boon for the series, resulting in arguably the strongest season up to that point. The bonus material blows that of “Mad Men” away, offering six audio commentaries, a look at several episodes from the directors’ point of view, a variety of “newsreels” which provide historical context to the season’s events and much more.

Adventure Time: The Complete First and Second Seasons

Trying to explain “Adventure Time” to someone who’s never seen it is a fool’s errand, but Tom Kenny – who voices the Ice King on the series – has called it “this generation’s ‘Yellow Submarine,’” and that’s about as good as any description as we’ve heard, so…yeah, let’s go with that. Kenny’s right, though: it’s downright psychedelic, baby, full of surreal adventures, bizarre humor and visuals that’ll blow your mind…particularly if you buy the first two seasons on Blu-ray, because it looks absolutely gorgeous. As with all the best cult TV series, the “Adventure Time” home video releases are chock full of bonus material, with the Season One set featuring four audio commentaries, three featurettes, 49 minutes worth of animatics and a few more fun bits here and there. The bonus material is a little more unique – what else would you expect from this series? – but you have to respect creator Pendleton Ward for coming up with the idea of doing a running commentary for all 26 episodes of the second season and making good on it. If you’re a fan of the show, you’ll love it.

Orphan Black: Season One

The year’s hottest new sci-fi series wasn’t on Syfy, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, on BBC America, the home of “Doctor Who.” Yet “Orphan Black” has little in common with the infamous Time Lord, and it can hardly be called family viewing. Tatiana Maslany stars as Sarah Manning, a con-woman who one night sees her doppelganger commit suicide by jumping into the path of an oncoming train. Sarah assumes the dead woman’s identity, and that’s when other clones start coming out of the woodwork, each with their own distinct lives and personalities. What’s going on, and why there are so many versions of the same woman, is at the core of the show’s ongoing mysteries, which admittedly are never quite as interesting as the many faces of Maslany, who mesmerizes, never once misses a beat, and practically steals the show from itself. Few series are built entirely around a single actor’s numerous talents, but Maslany has a gift, and it’s difficult to even imagine “Orphan Black” existing without her. “Black” will be back for a second round in the spring, so now is the time to catch up on the first season of 10 episodes.

Doctor Who: The Complete Series 1-7 Limited Edition Blu-ray Giftset

Another year, another boffo collection of all things “Who.” This set, however, offers plenty that’s new, including Seasons One through Four in 1080p for the first time (likewise, all the previous high-def material has been upgraded from 1080i to 1080p). Quite the epic box set this is, and just in time to celebrate 50 years of the Doctor. Collecting together all of the episodes that have been produced since 2005 (minus the anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor,” of course), this 29-disc Blu-ray collection is sure to please. With its remastered picture and sound, new “Who” has never looked and sounded this tight. Including tons of extras, with several exclusive to this collection (for instance, a complete 90-minute Proms concert in 5.1) and a sonic screwdriver remote control (which retails for $100), the collection aims to give collectors ample bang for their buck. Many will double dip, and first time buyers will be investing in what’s clearly the Cadillac of “Doctor Who” on home video.

The Office: Season Nine

This set, appropriately subtitled “the farewell season,” collects together the final batch of 23 episodes from some of our closest TV friends, the employees of Dunder Mifflin. While Season Eight – the first after Steve Carell’s departure – was a mixed bag, the show returned to form for the ninth season, and proved that there was enough life left in the concept to give all the other characters we grew to love exits as appropriately fitting as the one Michael Scott got back at the end of Season Seven. Much of Season Nine centers on Pam and Jim, and the difficulties of trying to keep their marriage together when Jim attempts to jumpstart a new career outside of Scranton. Dwight is in for some serious life changes as well, while Andy might just find peace and happiness in the most unexpected of places. Much happens over the course of this extended farewell season, and much of it is as heartrending as it is funny. The Blu-ray is loaded with bonus features, including two hours of deleted scenes, audition tapes, a table read of the finale and a behind-the-scenes panel discussion. No self-respecting “Office” fan should be without it.

Enlightened: The Complete Second Season / Magic City: The Complete Second Season

You can’t sell mainstream audiences on some shows no matter how much critical acclaim they get. If you want proof, look no farther than HBO’s “Enlightened,” which over the course of two seasons turned from an odd little series into an absolute must-watch program, thanks in no small part to a tour-de-force performance from star Laura Dern as Amy Jellicoe, an executive at Abaddonn Industries who has a bit of a mental breakdown but, upon her recovery, is a changed woman with a whole new spiritual philosophy. You may not be sure about the show after watching Season One, but if you continue into the second season, you’ll soon be as angry as everyone else about its cancellation. The same may or may not go for “Magic City,” the Starz series about a hotel owner in 1960s Miami and his interactions with some unsavory types. It’s one of the most beautiful series to hit TV screens in ages, but it’s a bit of a grower, taking some time to build before it really takes off. The series set up lots of storylines for a third season that’ll never come, but it’s still worth taking a look, because it looks fantastic.

Banshee: The Complete First Season / Hunted: The Complete First Season

Cinemax may forever be stuck being perceived as HBO’s slightly lecherous little brother – sorry, but that’s what happens when a generation gleefully calls you “Skinemax” – but in recent years, they’ve at least been trying to climb out of the depths and build their own reputation for quality original programming. Alas, “Hunted,” created and written by Frank Spotnitz (“The X-Files”), may have been a little too smart for the room. Despite lots of action and a strong leading lady in Melissa George, the espionage-themed series proved to be a bust in the ratings, resulting in cancellation after just the one season. Still, it’s worth checking out. “Banshee,” however, is coming back for a second season, which is fantastic news for those who tuned in to watch the smoldering chemistry between stars Antony Starr and Ivana Milicevic. The DVD release of the show’s first season features four featurettes, a closer look into two episodes, six audio commentaries, a few deleted scenes and even a prequel comic book. Oh, were you wondering about the bonus material for “Hunted”? There’s precisely none: it’s available as an on-demand DVD, so it’s completely devoid of any special features. Ouch, that hurts.

Boy Meets World: The Complete Collection

Most people would probably be surprised to hear that “Boy Meets World” ran for seven seasons, but as one of the cornerstones in ABC’s TGIF lineup, it was one of the more successful sitcoms of the mid to late 90s. The show was recently made available on DVD in individual season sets, so it’s hard to imagine any reason why Lionsgate would release this Complete Collection so soon after other than to cash in on the news of the upcoming ABC Family spinoff “Girl Meets World.” It definitely makes sense, because this 22-disc set is the perfect refresher course for those who want to watch Cory Matthews grow up all over again, from getting into trouble with best friend Shawn, to receiving life lessons from teacher Mr. Feeney, to falling in love with school crush Topanga. Anyone who grew up in the 90s remembers “Boy Meets World” more than they care to admit, and with two new retrospectives featuring the original cast, it’s nostalgia in a box.

China Beach: The Complete Series

This ambitious Emmy-winning drama, set in an evacuation hospital during the Vietnam War, ran on ABC for four seasons from 1988-91. Due to costly music rights, it’s been unavailable on home video until earlier this year. Starring Dana Delaney in the breakout role of her career, “China Beach” also features early work from Robert Picardo, Marg Helgenberger, Chloe Webb and a very young Ricki Lake. This heavy box set, which includes 21 DVDs with 62 episodes, two “China Beach” dog tags and 10 hours of bonus material, boasts that it features “over 300 classic hit songs…from Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and many more.” More would certainly include The Supremes, whose “Reflections” is used as the “China Beach” theme song. For those who can’t get enough of a certain time and place in history, think of this as “M*A*S*H” without the laughs. The complete series set is available exclusively from TimeLife.com, while the budget conscious may want to consider gifting the first season, which is available from Amazon.

Mama’s Family: The Complete Collection

Last year, we recommended “The Best of The Carol Burnett Show,” and this year, we’re recommending its spin-off sitcom “Mama’s Family,” starring Vicki Lawrence as the cranky but lovable matriarch of an expansive Midwestern family. One of the most underrated sitcoms of the 80s, “Mama’s Family” shines, due mostly to Lawrence’s completely original performance of a character that’s instantly recognizable. Simply put, everyone’s had an aunt or grandmother reminiscent of Thelma “Mama” Harper. Due to years of playing the role on Burnett’s variety show, Lawrence wastes no time trying to find Mama, and the show knows exactly what it wants to be coming out of the gate. Burnett guest stars as the iconic Eunice on several of the early episodes, as do Harvey Korman and Betty White. The box set itself is a sturdy cardboard beast, housing 130 episodes spread across six seasons, with over 12 hours of extras and the rarely seen 1982 TV movie “Eunice.” As with the Burnett box, this set is currently available only from TimeLife.com. For the more budget conscious shopper, the first couple seasons are available individually from Amazon.

Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids: The Complete Series

“Hey, hey, hey!” A child of the 70s reads that and is able to hear it only one way: through the vocal talents of Bill Cosby, doing the voice of the one, the only, Fat Albert. For the first time ever, this 15-DVD set collects together all the various series of “Fat Albert” – from the concept’s more humble beginnings back in ’72, all the way up to the somewhat flashier versions that were made in the early to mid-80s. Cosby had a vision – to reach out to inner-city urban youth and entertain, inform and teach them lessons that couldn’t be found in all the white man programming that dominated the landscape. But the escapades of Fat Albert, Rudy, Mushmouth, Bill, Dumb Donald, Russell and Weird Harold proved to be so genuine and truthful that the show crossed all racial barriers, making an ever-lasting impression on a generation of kids who can now share these tales with their own children. There are 110 episodes in all (missing, unfortunately, are a few holiday specials), the quality is very nice given the age of the material, and there’s an hour-long documentary on the final disc entitled (what else?) “Hey, Hey, Hey…It’s the Story of Fat Albert.”

Star Trek: Enterprise – The Complete First and Second Seasons

It’s both surprising and depressing to realize that this, the most recent of the “Star Trek” TV series, seems to be the only one of the small screen brethren to escape J.J. Abrams’ rewriting of “Trek” history with his big screen adventures of Kirk, Spock and company. Think about the timing, though, and you’ll realize that Nero’s trip back through time took place after Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) took command of the first starship Enterprise. Why, there’s even a reference to Scotty having tested a transporter on Admiral Archer’s beagle! Looking back, “Star Trek: Enterprise” was already rewriting history well before Abrams took over the franchise, so we really should’ve seen it coming. If you enjoyed the series, though, you’ll be enthralled by the loving treatment Paramount has given “Enterprise” for its Blu-ray release, its sparkling picture and pristine sound accompanied by the usual plethora of bonus material that all of these “Star Trek” series invariably receive. Our only question: why couldn’t they have just stuck with chronological order with their Blu-ray rollout? (So sue us: we’re big “Deep Space Nine” fans here at Bullz-Eye.)

The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts Complete DVD Collection

Frank Sinatra might’ve been the so-called Chairman of the Board, but it’s become increasingly clear that the coolest member of the Rat Pack was really Dean Martin. No, he might not have had the pipes that Frank had, but Dino was cool, calm, and collected…or possibly just drunk. Either way, he had a way with a one-liner and a gift for hosting celebrity roasts. Comedy Central has tried to pick up the tradition of slinging zingers at celebrities, but they’re often rude, crude and socially unacceptable. The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts featured some of the biggest names in Hollywood, sports, politics or elsewhere stepping up to the podium and hurling jokes that were rarely harsh enough to offend but were consistently worthy laughs, from a chuckle to a full-fledged guffaw. StarVista Entertainment and Time-Life has compiled a 25-disc set that features hours and hours of these roasts, with a list of roasters and roastees that’ll blow your mind, including Bob Hope, Jack Benny, George Burns, Jimmy Stewart, John Wayne, Ronald Reagan, Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason and many, many more. There are even bonus discs including tons of interviews as well as seven episodes of “The Dean Martin Variety Show.”

Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman: The Complete Series

With 38 discs and 325 episodes, this box set is a beast, and one of the strangest on the market this year. “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” ran for only about a year and a half back in 1976 and ’77, but it was produced on a soap opera schedule, and hence was on every weekday. Developed by Norman Lear (“All in the Family,” “Maude”), who still regards it as one of his finest works, the show deftly satirizes a suburban world that finds itself inundated by media and consumer culture. The series begins with the title character, played superbly by Louise Lasser, worried about the waxy yellow buildup on her floors, while the news on the radio reports that just streets away, an entire family (as well as their dogs and chickens) have been brutally murdered. Police sirens blast in the background, but it’s that waxy yellow buildup that most concerns the housewife. That sort of dark humor pervades the entire show, and the conspicuous lack of a laugh track only adds to the ongoing current of weird. Unavailable since it was first aired, “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” is for the TV addict who has everything but is looking for more. This should tide them over for several months. It also includes an extra 10 episodes of the Martin Mull-starring talk show spin-off, “Fernwood 2 Night.”

Kindred: The Embraced – The Complete Series

Hey, you know how all the kids love vampires? Sure you do. How can you not, what with “The Vampire Diaries,” “True Blood” and even “Dracula” all currently taking up real estate on various networks’ schedules? Unfortunately, some series tried to sway audiences over to the “vampires are cool” camp a little before the masses were ready to sign on to the trend, leaving them short-lived and quickly forgotten. As such, the words “Kindred: The Embraced” may mean nothing to you, but for a brief window in 1996 – we’re talking from April 2 to May 9 – Spelling Productions brought FOX viewers the story of San Francisco Police Detective Frank Kohanek (C. Thomas Howell) and his exploration of the five groups of vampires – known collectively as The Kindred – who are living and feeding in the city. There were only eight episodes, but that hasn’t stopped the studio from going all out with the presentation of the series, offering an extended version of the pilot, audio commentaries, deleted scenes and featurettes, while the set itself features bookcase packaging, a letter from the series creator and a replica of The Book of Nod. (Trust us: if you’re a fan, it’s pretty freaking awesome.)

Looking for more TV content? Check out the latest edition of our TV Power Rankings for a rundown of the best shows currently on the air.

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2013/11/26/2013-holiday-gift-guide-television/feed/0The Light from the TV Shows: A Chat with Clive Standen (“Vikings”)http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2013/02/27/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-clive-standen-vikings/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2013/02/27/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-clive-standen-vikings/#commentsThu, 28 Feb 2013 04:47:18 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=24426Given the astounding success that History Channel found with its previous based-on-stuff-that-really-happened dramatic effort,“Hatfields and McCoys,” it’s no wonder that the network is throwing such a profound promotional push behind its latest endeavor, “Vikings.” Granted, the cast of this one can’t quite compare with headline names like Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton, but don’t be so hasty to dismiss it just because you don’t know as many of the actors off the top of your head. After all, at the very least, it’s got Gabriel Byrne, who’s quite good (as anyone who’s watched him on HBO’s “In Treatment” or any number of his many cinematic efforts can handily testify), but, seriously, there’s a lot of other solid actors in the ensemble as well…like, say, Clive Standen, for instance. Bullz-Eye had a chance to chat with Standen about his work on “Vikings,” but we also managed to chat a bit about his work on “Camelot” and “Doctor Who“ as well as a slightly less fondly remembered effort called “Heroes and Villains.”

Bullz-Eye: To start with the inevitable, how did you find your way into “Vikings“ in the first place? Presumably it didn’t hurt that you’d already worked with the creators.

Clive Standen: It was a long process for me. I was fighting them, kicking and screaming, to try and get seen for this. [Laughs.] I was filming with one of the producers of Vikings, Morgan O’Sullivan, when I did “Camelot,” and I remember him and Michael Hirst talking about it quite a lot then as a new, exciting project they’d been working on for ages. Michael had been invested in the Viking saga for a long time. Right from the beginning, I think they were looking for big names, and they had their kind of wish list, with people like Viggo Mortensen and…well, it was a completely different breed. And I was stuck in “Camelot,” and I was just so jealous. When “Camelot” was finished, I was writing letters and, as I say, kicking and screaming, saying, “Can I get seen for it?” And they wanted to see me for Rollo, which is the part that I played, but for some reason I went on this whole journey of doing screen tests and things for the part of Ragnar. At the very end, though, they offered me Rollo, which was the part that I wanted in the first place, so I must say it made me very happy.

BE: So how much knowledge of the Vikings did you have before coming onto the project?

CS: Well, I’m one of those kids that was brought up by… My parents in England used to take me to every castle and thing imaginable. I was climbing around the countryside, climbing around castles with my older brother from an early age. So I’d kind of been brought up on a lot of the history and things, so I’ve always been mad about Vikings. Or anything from the Medieval era, really. But just like I think a lot of the general public will be before they see “Vikings,” I thought I kind of had it all worked out. It’s only since working with Michael Hirst on “Vikings” that you realize that there’s so much more to the Scandinavian saga and their way of life than you’ve ever imagined. Most of the things we think we know about Vikings has all been written down by the Christians, and it was the Victorians that kind of created this whole Vikings with big-horned helmets thing. There’s a lot of things written down, descriptions of these frightening Norsemen who came from the sea, with horned helmets sent from the devil himself… [Laughs.] It’s this very one-dimensional view of this massive civilization of people. But Michael Hirst, what he’s done is, he’s gone and looked at it from the inside out and really invested the time, actually going to Scandinavia and researching all the sagas and the history behind it. This’ll be the first time ever, I think, where the Vikings will be the heroes. They did do the plundering, they did do the ransacking and the colonizing, but when you look at it from their point of view and the reasons why they did that, the gods they believed in and the society they lived in, you’ll have a completely different vision of the Vikings than you think you know today.

BE: Is there any particular factoid that you learned during the course of production that really surprised you?

CS: Oh, don’t start me! I can tell you everything about how they used to get moss from the volcanic mountains in Iceland, and they would get the steel out of that, and they’d put it into kilns and get the steel to create the swords that they used. Seriously, I could go on and on and on. I can get really boring when I get talking and start going on about Vikings! [Laughs.] But there’s all sorts of stuff. They were very clean, and they used to…it was when they came over that the Saxons would actually adopt a lot of their intricate hairstyles and haircuts and things. We kind of believe that Vikings were these dirty scumbags that used to never wash and fart and spit, but it was quite the opposite. The Vikings, the Scandinavians, were responsible for bringing a lot of the fashion and the style that the Saxons ended up adopting.

BE: Hairstyles, fashion…maybe this is less of a “guy’s show” that one might think.

CS: [Laughs.] Oh, no, no, no. But I could go on and on and on with factoids about these people. The thing about Vikings, they were scientists and explorers, and they unfortunately didn’t write a lot of things down, but…they were astronomers as well, they learned how to read the stars, they learned how to read the weather, and to navigate across the open oceans. There were things that made them the Leonardo da Vincis of their day. There’s lots of things. They were a very civilized society. They were a very simple people, and they had a big rule system. You’ll see in Episode 1 that we go to the Althing, which is kind of where the word “thing” comes from. It was kind of an all-encompassing courtroom where they would sort out their problems from different tribes and different neighborhoods from all around Scandinavia. You’ll see in Episode 1 where we have someone who’s stolen someone and there’s a quarrel between people, and if they’d walked past the third house without reporting it, then it’s suddenly a misdemeanor. There was a big civilized society behind all this.

BE: Some viewers may be surprised that Katheryn Winnick’s character is a formidable fighter in her own right.

CS: She is, yeah! Yeah, me and Katheryn had a lot to do, ‘cause I used to be an international Thai boxer, and Katheryn did lots of taekwondo, so we had a lot to talk about…and we got to spar a bit between takes! [Laughs.]

CS: Yeah. Travis is a formidable actor to work with. He’s really organic, which is a lot of fun. He’s also a massive practical joker as well. He keeps it in check, but then he keeps us all entertained as well.

BE:How much interaction did you have with Gabriel Byrne?

CS: Ah, Gabriel’s great. I have a lot of scenes with Gabriel. Gabriel is a very, very giving actor, and it’s very nice to have him on set and be that sort of stalwart that he is. Because he’s very good at calming everyone’s nerves down. He makes it easy for you to come up on set and act with him. He doesn’t hold any bravado at all. He’s a very, very lovely man. And a great actor. He plays Haraldson right down to a tee.

BE: You’re obviously no stranger to period pieces, but what was the Viking attire like for you?

CS: Ah, the Viking attire… Well, we’ve got this brilliant costume designer, Joan Bergin, and she’ll design what you have to wear, and she’ll do it with you as well, so you have a nice input into it. When it comes to the fighting styles and what you need to do with your character, the costume…you have to have a quite collaborative say in what you wear and how it can help you every day in life as a Viking, as Rollo. But the costumes are fantastic. They would just constantly be making new costumes, and we’d have this massive array of different stuff, from leathers to cotton to whatever fabric. It was just phenomenal. The costume department, they often don’t get enough recognition. A lot of the costumes that get recognition are the beautiful, elegant costumes like you see in “The Tudors” and “The Borgias“ and things, but there’s a lot of work that actually goes down into beating down and aging some of these costumes to make them look authentic. Some of the costumes that we have…they’re really phenomenal.

BE: In regards to one of those other period pieces I mentioned, what was the experience of “Camelot” like for you?

CS: “Camelot” was…well, see, “Camelot” was great, but it’s a very different story. Because, y’know, the story of King Arthur, it’s been done to death, and I think everybody thinks that they know who King Arthur and Guinevere and Lancelot are. But “Camelot“ was a completely different…it was more just pure escapism TV. It was grand in scale, but it didn’t really delve into the historical accuracies that “Vikings” goes into. Michael comes from this background where I think that History is the perfect channel to have “Vikings” on. They’ve been at it for a long time, building an audience that are interested in the documentaries that they make, and what they’ve been able to do is…there’s now room for the scripted genre, where they creative this massive visceral, epic landscape and epic story while also kind of keeping it very much immersed in the historical accuracy that its viewers are used to. They’ve created a niche in the market.

BE: Had there been any talk of where the series would have gone if it had gotten a second season?

(Writer’s note: As you are about to see, due to a dodgy connection on the line, Standen misunderstood this question—I was actually still talking about “Camelot”—and thought I was asking about the future of “Vikings.”)

CS: Well, Michael has a massive, massive vision for “Vikings.” I mean, I was lucky enough…me and Travis got to read what he calls the “Viking” Bible, in which he’s planned out many seasons. Really, Season 1 is just the tip of the iceberg of what we can offer. There are so many great characters in some of these sagas, y’know? There’s so much more to come. Even Alfred the Great himself, who kind of defeated the Vikings in the end in England. But they go to Iceland, and there’s Leif Erikson, who travels across the Atlantic. There’s so much more to come, and Michael…if you sit down and talk to Michael, he can go on and on and on about all the ideas he’s got. There’s just a plethora of stories we can tell. It’s just the tip of the iceberg in Series One. But everyone’s based on real historical figures. Ragnar Lothbrok was the original true Viking who you see rise to fame. He was called Hairy Trousers. [Laughs.] There’s lots of tales about him. But Rollo, the character I play, is actually the great, great, great, great, great grandfather of William the Conqueror, the Duke of Normandy, and he was responsible for sacking Normandy and going to France.

BE: I know we need to start wrapping up, but I wonder if you could speak briefly about your experiences on “Doctor Who.”

CS: On “Doctor Who”? I loved “Doctor Who”! [Laughs.] It’s very, very close to my heart. They were very good to me, the guys on “Doctor Who,” and…I’m a bit of a geek at heart. I love a bit of sci-fi. And it was great to be a part of “Doctor Who,” ’cause in Britain, anyway, but I’m sure in other countries as well, it’s one of the more cherished crown jewels in the sci-fi TV world. Yeah, I had a lot of fun doing “Doctor Who.” And I got to work with David Tennant, who I think is my favorite Doctor.

BE: Were you surprised when you got the callback to do the episode “Turn Left” later in Season Four?

CS: Yeah! But it was great to have that scene, particularly to announce that the Doctor was dead. Even though it was really only just that one scene in “Turn Left,” there was a lot of weight on my shoulders to get that scene right. Russell T. Davies was actually going, “Uh, yeah, this is quite an important scene, so you’ve got to get it.” But it was a lot of fun. Russell was really good to me.

BE: Lastly, have you got anything to say about working on your first film, “Heroes and Villains”?

CS: “Heroes and Villains.” That was, uh… [Nervous laugh.] That was an experience. I think when you come out of drama school, you take jobs and you do stuff. I only had a very small part in “Heroes and Villains,” but…y’know how you have some things that you’re proud of, some things that you’re glad you did, and everything happens for a reason, but it’s, uh, not one of the crowning moments in my career, that one!

BE: Well, we won’t leave it on that, then. I’ll just close by saying that I’ll keep my fingers crossed that “Vikings” does as well for History Channel as “Hatfields and McCoys” did.

CS: Oh, I hope so. I mean, the one endorsement I can give it is that it’s one of the first things I’ve done in a very long time where, regardless of if I was in it or not, I’d still just love to watch it. It’s something I’m very proud of, and it’s something I think has never been done before, so I’m hoping it finds a place in the marketplace. I mean, it’s a show that’s must-watch event TV. It really is.

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2013/02/27/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-clive-standen-vikings/feed/0The Light from the TV Shows: A Chat with Brian Cox (“The Straits”)http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/12/19/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-brian-cox-the-straits/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/12/19/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-brian-cox-the-straits/#commentsWed, 19 Dec 2012 18:05:29 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=22092The watching of one’s favorite programs has increasingly stretched beyond the TV set and onto the internet, with various online viewing outlets providing exclusive programming for its subscribers. In the case of Hulu, Stateside viewers suffering from Anglophilia have been particularly excited about seeing a flurry of programming from the UK turning up, but now they’re starting to bring us a few treats from down under as well.

The crime-family drama “The Straits,” starring Brian Cox, who you probably know from “Manhunter” or “Braveheart” or possibly even “Super Troopers,” premiered on Hulu a few days back and will be doling out a new episode every week, but once you’ve started watching, between the dialogue, the action, the humor, and, sure, the sex and violence, too, you’ll find that a week will seem like a bloody lifetime.

Bullz-Eye was fortunate enough to chat with Cox about his new endeavor, not to mention a few other highlights from his none-too-shabby back catalog, but be forewarned: he’s been talking about “The Straits” in the past tense for awhile now – it premiered in Australia back in February – so you’ll see that he has a tendency to slip up and offer spoilers on occasion. Not that they’ll stop your overall enjoyment of the series, but just don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Bullz-Eye: Well, I didn’t have enough lead time to absorb all 10 episodes of “The Straits,” but I’ve knocked out three of them thus far, and I’m really enjoying it.

Brian Cox: Well, good! Good, good, good. [Laughs.] It’s a good show!

BE: It is. A nice blend of drama, a bit of humor here and there, and certainly some darkness.

BC: Yeah, it’s got a black-comedy effect about it.

BE: So how did “The Straits” fall into your lap? Did they approach you directly?

BC: They did! They got in touch. I was doing “That Championship Season” on Broadway, and I just got this call from my English agent…because I have agents here and I’ve got agents in England…and they said, “How do you feel about going to Australia?” And the irony was that I’d been trying to get Australia for about the last four or five years, and I’m thinking, “Well, it’s only ever gonna be a job that gets me out there.” So when I got this call, I said, “I’ll do it! I don’t care what it is. I’m desperate to go to Australia!” [Laughs.] Then they said, “Well, hang on, read the script!” And I read the script, and I said, “Well, this is even better: a great job, a great role, and I get to go to Australia! This is a must!” So my wife came and my kids came, and it was a fantastic opportunity, one which I cherish. And I’m very sad that we’re not going to do some more of it, because I do think we were just…you know, the potential of it is enormous. But they’re a little nervous about it, because it’s about a crime family. But what I love about this show and what I love about Australia…

Australians are very slow-moving. You know, they kind of move at their own pace, and they aren’t really rushed, so it kind of took a long time to get this show out there, and then they finally got it out, and then it took them a long time to decide that they weren’t going to do it again this year. Because we were all set and ready to do it. But the thing about it is that it is a pioneering country, and television is in a pioneering state. You know, they’re doing a lot of great stuff now on Australian television. Australians have really asserted themselves as actors. I mean, I’m of a generation where I remember when all of the Australian actors used to live in England, and then they all went back in their forties. And now Australia is ripe for everything, and people live there. Cate Blanchett lives there. Russell Crowe lives there. My great friend Hugo Weaving lives in Sydney. So I just admire the Australians so much, and I admire what they’ve done, and now with the link with New Zealand and “The Hobbit” and Peter Jackson, it’s kind of an industry all of its own, and quite rightly. But it’s still very much pioneering. And this series is quintessentially about that whole element. It’s like the Wild West, you know? The Torres Strait is like South Dakota in the 1870s. It’s still like that.

BE: It sounds as though you’d been to Australia prior to doing this series, if not in some time, but had you ever been to the Torres Straits before?

BC: No, and I’ve never got the Torres Straits since then, either, unfortunately. My filming never got me there, which I was sad about. I was told I was gonna go to the Torres Straits, but…it’s actually rather expensive. And then we shot a lot of the stuff on the mainland. We shot it in an aboriginal settlement just south of Cairns, which is absolutely stunning. And it’s also where the last man to be eaten as a cannibal act in Australia was eaten. [Laughs.] We shot there. We did the big shootout…wait, how many episodes have you seen?

BE: Only three thus far.

BC: Oh, so you haven’t seen that yet. Yeah, sorry about that. [Laughs.] But, yeah, we shot that there. And a couple of the boys did actually go out and shoot in the Torres Straits, so there was quite a lot of shooting there. And they’re amazing. I mean, I’ve seen a lot of footage on it, so I know the area. And I went up to Cape Tribulation (in Queensland), and I went up to the top of Australia, and I went to the Daintree. So it was a great time. A great, great time.

BE: I understand that “The Straits” was originally intended as a miniseries rather than an ongoing series. When it was pitched to you, were you presented with the script for the project in its entirety or just the pilot?

BC: I got the first three scripts. And then because of my availability…they wanted me in it, and, actually, as it turned out, I could’ve been there for the whole thing after all, but then they had this whole sequence where I’m shot… [Hesitates.] Ugh. I don’t want to give it away! But, anyway, I’m shot, and I’m in a coma for a bit, and then I come out of it, and then I’m okay. I love the dialogue, by the way. They’re such good dialogue writers. And it was just so terse, so completely on the money. And witty. And Harry was just one of these great characters. He was a great creation.

BE: The point of reference a lot of critics have used is “The Sopranos,” but for those not limiting themselves to U.S. television, “Underbelly” is a good one as well. What comparisons struck you as you first read it?

BC: Well, first of all, yes, “Underbelly,” certainly. Of course, it came to my mind that Tony Soprano and Harry Montebello…they’re kissing cousins, in a way. Although Harry’s older. And Harry’s also…I mean, you know, it’s not the Italian way, it’s the island way, and Harry’s an outsider to the island. He’s an outsider, but he’s been tolerated because he’s played ball. And things are starting to go wrong, so now he’s going back to his old culture. His back story is that he was a hit-man for the Krays, which was a famous gang group in the ‘60s and ‘70s in London, and he went on the run. And ended up in Australia, met this beautiful island girl, and married her, and he didn’t realize that she was sort of the heiress apparent to this big chief of this island. And he married thinking he was going to have kids, but she was actually childless. And then they started to adopt these children, and…that’s a common thing in these islands: some people don’t have children, some people have large families, and they share the families out. They give the families to those who are childless. It’s very common. It’s a thing that they do. So it all becomes about the community.

But, you know, they have their problems. Particularly health issues. I think it’s the highest rate of diabetes in the world, in the Torres Straits. It’s the food, because they love this Southern fried chicken. They love KFC! And they pay a fortune for it. But it’s bad for them, just as it’s bad for the aboriginals in Australia. Their rate of diabetes is ridiculously high as well. And you see these kids eating this horrible processed food, and…these are an ancient people! These are a people who are still in the hunting-and-gathering stage. Australia’s still like that. It still has that element.

I saw this fantastic documentary about these guys who put out fires, and there’s this old guy…I can’t remember his name, but he’s fantastic. He’s an old abo, and he had all these people coming up from Melbourne, in their fire trucks and their outfits, and he’s going [Doing an aboriginal accent.] “Why you wearing all that stuff? You don’t need all stuff. Get all that stuff off. Just get in the shorts and the jacket!” The documentary was about how you put out fires as well as how you make fires, and how you don’t allow the fires you’ve made to burn beyond a certain level, because once it does, that’s when fires go crazy. And this old abbo, he could light a fire, he could clear a piece of ground and show where it stopped. He would light a fire so it went to that point. But not only that, you would look at the ground and see little green shoots that his fire had avoided, which was fresh stuff coming up. He burned it in such a precise way. And they’re doing this in shorts and sandals! These big sort of Aussies are in their firefighting outfits, they’re kind of scratching their heads and going, “How did they do that?” And at one point he sees an old tree and says, “Now, there’ll be water in that tree.” The guy says, “No, not possible.” He says again, “There’ll be water in that tree.” “Can’t be. It’s been burned.” He takes a machete, he cuts it…and this huge spout of water comes out. It was astonishing. Now that’s their culture. That’s who they are.

That’s the extraordinary part about Australia. And those ways, they’re still prevalent. And slowly the aboriginals are getting their rights back, but…it’s an ancient land, and it’s the most incredible place. It really is. Australians don’t even know about it. So when you do get a series like “The Straits,” you’re in a very privileged position, because it is pioneering. In terms of television, in terms of drama, but also in terms of dealing with and showing the culture, and how they’re having to adjust to European ways, which are detrimental to them.

BE: You made things sound pretty ominous for the future of the series at the top of our conversation, but given that it’s just now debuting on Hulu, is it feasible that its success there could yet result in a second season of “The Straits”?

BC: Well, if it’s a success on Hulu, then there will be. And I do think it needs to see world success. I think it’s got the potential. I’m certainly up for it. In fact, I loved doing it. But, then, I just love working in Australia.

For me, though, and at my time of life, you’re always in for the reinvention, because you don’t want to go on the same way infinitely. I’ve always tried to keep ahead of the times and tried to go into new ventures. I’ve never sat still. I mean, I’m sitting now. [Laughs.] I’m sitting in my little aviary in Brooklyn, looking out at the Freedom Tower, 50+ floors up, in my reasonably small apartment. Mind you, it’s a far cry from the house I used to have in L.A., which was 5,000 square feet. But, actually, it was meaningless. I mean, this is a bit tight, but…that’s the actor’s way, you know? We’re still the strolling player.

I’ve spent very little time here this year, because I’ve been involved in the UK, doing a whole series on addiction, funnily enough. I’ll be presenting this series of documentaries on addiction, which fascinates me. It’s all about sugar, tobacco, whiskey, and opium. I spent most of the year doing that. I think I’ve only been home maybe four weeks this year. My kids don’t like it. My little boy said to me, “Listen, Dad, you’ve got to stay more in New York. This is no good. It’s just no good!” I said, “Well, you know, I’ve got to go where the money is. I’ve got to earn the money.” He says, “Dad, you’ve got a credit card!” [Laughs.]

BE: As far as your back catalog goes, do you have a favorite project you’ve worked on over the years that didn’t get the love you thought it deserved?

BC: [Long pause.] Oh, yes.

BE: Or possibly more than one.

BC: Oh, yeah, definitely more than one. [Laughs.] Things that were controversial, things which have achieved cult status. I’ve done more cult films…I mean, my retrospective…I’ll tell you, when I go, I’m gonna have the best retrospective of anyone, given the catalog of stuff I’ve done. It’s just been very special. I did a film in Iceland called “The Good Heart,” which I think is a wonderful film, with Paul Dano. I also did “L.I.E.” with Paul, which had relative success, but because it was dealing with pedophilia, it didn’t have a wide range of success. There’s a film called “Running with Scissors” that I made, with Ryan Murphy, who created “Glee.” He directed it – it was his first movie – and I think it was a wonderful movie. And, again, people will look at that movie in a few years and say, “How did we let this escape us?” But that’s ‘cause Sony buggered about. Studios always bugger about with something, you know. I tend to do studio films and then do independents, and one kind of subsidizes the other.

BC: Another film I did was a British film called “The Escapist,” which I helped produce.

BE: I actually own that film.

BC: Do you?

BE: I do!

BC: I’m glad to hear that. I think it’s a very good film, and I’m very proud of it. And, of course, Rupert (Wyatt) has gone on to bigger things.

BC: Oh, and there’s one other film: “Red.” But not the “Red.” I think I’ve made more films called “Red” than anybody. [Laughs.] I’ve made about five films called “Red.” I’ve even just made “Red 2”! But this “Red,” it’s a Jack Ketchum story about a guy whose dog is killed – I did it with Tom Sizemore – and he just seeks some sort of reparation for it. Actually, he just needs some acknowledgement. He’s not even after anything. But then it comes into a revenge drama and blows up, and…it’s a really interesting film.

So, you know, there’s a lot of movies out there. And there’s a lot of movies that you wish they’d forget about as well. [Laughs.] Actually, there’s not too many of them. I’ve actually been quite good in that way. My career’s been quite good to me.

BE: You mentioned that you’ve been in more cult films than just about anybody, but you’ve also got such a diverse group of films to call your own, everything from “Super Troopers” to “X2.”

BC: Exactly! Well, you know, with “Super Troopers,” the proof is in the…you know, you get reviews where, like, I think it was the Sunday Times in London that said, “If Mr. Cox needed the money for doing this piece of nonsense” – this was for “Super Troopers” – “then I’m sure friends could’ve come to the rescue.” [Laughs.] And you go, “Well, you got it wrong.” Because that film has a following among the kids that’s second to none! I mean, I remember going to a place called Eddie Z’s in Austin, it’s a steakhouse, and the kids, all the waiters could quote endlessly from “Super Troopers.” They knew it backwards and forwards.

BE: Do you find that’s the film that’s quoted back to you the most?

BC: Yeah. That, and “Manhunter.” You know, “I will send you something wet,” that comes. And “Braveheart,” of course. I get, “First, learn to use this, then I’ll teach to you use this.” So, yeah, “Braveheart” is one I get a lot of. I’ve had a lot of ‘em over the years. [Hesitates.] My phone’s just beeped, which means I may be about out of battery.

BE: Well, I’ll wrap quickly, then. But I did just want to ask out of curiosity how you came to provide the voice of the Elder Ood on “Doctor Who”?

BC: Now, that’s a very interesting story, and I’ll tell you what happened, because it was kind of odd, but…I thought I was doing an advert for “Doctor Who.” [Laughs.] I didn’t think I was actually doing the show. I thought I was just doing a voiceover. Because they came through my voiceover agent, you see, and they said, “We’ve got you doing this thing,” and I said, “What is it?” And they told me it was a bit of voice acting, so I said I’d do it. But we, uh, never read the fine print on it.

So I arrive in the studio, and the very nice director (Euros Lyn), a young man who was from Slovenia, I believe, or one of those places, he was sitting down there, and he said, “Now, I think this character…” And I go, “What character?” He said, “The Ood.” And I went, “Oh,” but I was thinking, “I didn’t realize I was playing a part.” I had no idea! But, anyway, I just suddenly decided, “Oh, to hell with it, okay.” So I didn’t say anything. I just did it, and that was it. So that’s how I came to do the Ood. It was complete absentmindedness on my part. Even as I did it, I thought, “I shouldn’t be doing this,” because it was a performance. It should’ve come through my other agent, but because it came through my voiceover agent…I really should’ve gotten more money for it! [Laughs.] So I got screwed for not being attentive enough.

BE: Lastly, just to clear up a longstanding rumor, were you really an uncredited extra in episodes of “The Prisoner”?

BC: No, it’s one of the great myths. [Laughs.] It’s on Wikipedia, and I keep wanting to sort it out, but, no, I was never in “The Prisoner.” I would’ve loved to have been in “The Prisoner,” and I remember seeing it, and I watched it when it first came out. I’m old enough to have seen it and watched it and, yes, to have been an extra in it. But I never was. I don’t know where that came from. I did actually film in Portmeirion maybe 10 or 15 years ago, where they made “The Prisoner” and which is an extraordinary place. But, no, I was never in “The Prisoner.” So perhaps you can finally help me lay that one to rest! [Laughs.]

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/12/19/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-a-chat-with-brian-cox-the-straits/feed/0The Light from the TV Shows: Gifts for the TV Geekhttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/12/12/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-gifts-for-the-tv-geek/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/12/12/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-gifts-for-the-tv-geek/#commentsThu, 13 Dec 2012 04:37:28 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=21919You’ve no doubt already seen the TV-DVD recommendations in Bullz-Eye’s Holiday Gift Guide, but what if you’ve got a TV geek on your gift list who already has every single DVD set on our list? Fortunately for you, I’ve rounded up a few not-at-all-cheap suggestions.

Features a “Troy & Abed in the Morning” coffee cup (“With a generous capacity of 15 ounces, refills are not needed!”), a Warhol-inspired Troy & Abed poster, a t-shirt featuring the Greendale Seven in video game form. and a plush Human Being…which, if you’re not already a fan of the show, probably warrants a bit of explanation. Per the NBC online store, “The Greendale Community Human Being plush mascot reflects the diversity of Greendale and our species by being nothing at all. Now you can have your own creepy version!” If that doesn’t sound like the icing on a delicious “Community” cake, then…well, uh, you’re probably not the target demo. But maybe you know someone who is, so keep it in mind just in case. ($50.00)

Described as “perhaps the greatest Dexter usable collectable out there,” what you get is a set of sunglasses with white frames spattered in blood, stored in a wooden case which, not coincidentally, looks quite a bit like Dexter’s “trophy case.” The case also includes blood slides and a syringe. Move fast, though: it’s a limited edition set – there are only 500 units being produced, and each wooden case is individually numbered. ($149.95)

I once bought my wife a replica of the cross necklace Buffy wears, but while she thought it looked incredibly cool, she’s never actually worn it because it just seems like more of a display piece than actual jewelry. Similarly, here’s hoping that, should you decide to pick up this item, you decide to leave it in the box rather than plunge it into someone’s heart. I mean, unless they’re undead. In that case, go nuts. ($479.99)

What can we possibly say that the people at ThinkGeek haven’t already said better? “The Sonic Screwdriver Programmable TV Remote lets you feel like a time lord while lounging on your couch eating fish fingers and custard. This Mark VII Sonic Screwdriver is specially created for Earth use. It’s been simplified so as not to cause danger to human operators, while still being an extremely powerful tool in the wrangling of entertainment electronics. And because The Doctor doesn’t let just anyone use his stuff, there’s a Lock Code that allows you to ensure that it’s yours… ALL YOURS.” ($89.99)

Gotta get at least one Hanna-Barbera item in the mix, y’know? One of my most prized possessions is a Brak cookie jar that our own David Medsker hooked me up with many moons ago, during my earliest days with Bullz-Eye. (Or, man, was it before? It was forever ago.) Of course, “The Jetsons” can’t compete with “Space Ghost,” but I’ve still got a lot of love in my heart for Rosie. As robot servants go, she’s one of the best. ($49.95)

I just want to shake the hand of the NBC employee who pitched this idea. “Hey, how about if we put a bunch of cardboard boxes, put Dunder-Mifflin labels on the outside, fill ‘em with plain ol’ copy paper, and then sell ‘em for $70 a pop? Yeah, you’re right, that’s kind of a rip-off. We better throw one of those magnetic-poetry packs in there, too.” Brilliant. ($74.98)

Not that anyone’s been wondering why I don’t handle the “Sons of Anarchy” reviews for Bullz-Eye, but if you were, it’s because I’m an idiot and don’t watch the show. Still, I know enough about it to know that fans will probably think these rings are pretty awesome. ($99.99 each)

Admittedly, probably even the most obsessive Trekkies probably haven’t been clamoring for a pizza cutter that looks like the USS Enterprise, let alone one that’s done up in gold rather than one of your lesser metals, but leave it to ThinkGeek to prey on their customers’ weaknesses and make this a limited edition item of which there are only 1,701 in existence…and if you don’t appreciate why they picked that number, Google it later. For now, though, just trust us: it’s hilarious.($99.99)

First and foremost, don’t get your hopes up for finding this under the tree: the company that produces this stuff is already back-ordered through January. Secondly, let’s not kid ourselves: this price is absolutely ridiculous, given the ease with which just about anyone could make rock candy in their own freaking kitchen and the fact that you could print off a “Los Pollos Hermanos” label yourself and slap it on any old plastic bucket. With that said, however, you can’t deny that it’s one of the coolest things ever. ($1,658.08)

I’m not sure I’d want to meet the person who has the kind of disposable income to spend on something like this, as I’m not sure I’d be able to resist the desire to punch them in the face. But I applaud the HBO store for apparently having it in stock, just in case someone happens to get a wild hair and has the bankbook to back up their pop culture whims. ($30,000…and, no, that’s not a joke)

]]>http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2012/12/12/the-light-from-the-tv-shows-gifts-for-the-tv-geek/feed/0Your appointment with the Doctor is hereby scheduledhttp://blog.bullz-eye.com/2010/03/22/your-appointment-with-the-doctor-is-hereby-scheduled/
http://blog.bullz-eye.com/2010/03/22/your-appointment-with-the-doctor-is-hereby-scheduled/#commentsTue, 23 Mar 2010 02:22:11 +0000http://blog.bullz-eye.com/?p=450“Doctor Who,” that is. (What, like you were expecting it to be Dr. Pepper?)

At 9 PM on April 17th, everyone’s favorite Time Lord…well, statistically speaking, anyway…is making his return to BBC America in his new guise, which has him looking remarkably like actor Matt Smith. He is the Eleventh Doctor, if you’re keeping count, and he will be accompanied by a new traveling companion: Amy Pond, played by the highly cute Karen Gillan.

According to the publicity department, they will be exploring sixteenth century Venice, France during the 1890s, and the United Kingdom in the far future, where the nation is floating in space, and the new series will feature episodes written by Richard Curtis (“Pirate Radio,” “Love Actually”) and Toby Whithouse (“Being Human,” “Torchwood”) and guest stars including Alex Kingston (“ER,” “Flash Forward”), James Corden (“Gavin & Stacey,” “The History Boys”) and Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo (“The Secret Life of Bees,” “Hotel Rwanda”) and Tony Curran (“24″).

You can get more info by heading over to the “Doctor Who” portion of the BBC America website, but for now, enjoy this trailer for the new season. Is this a Dalek I see before me…? Why, yes, I believe it is…